Mariah Carey has finally won an MTV Video Music Award (VMA).

Although the superstar has been nominated eight times over the course of her career, she was presented with her very first Moon Person statue for Best R&B Video for the single Type Dangerous during the 2025 MTV VMAs on Sunday night.

A short time later, Ariana Grande bestowed Mariah with the prestigious Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award prize for her contribution to the entertainment industry.

"Thank you so much for MTV for giving me the Vanguard Award. I can't believe I'm getting my first VMA tonight," she began. "I just have one question: What in the Sam Hill (hell) were you waiting for? I'm kidding. I love you."

Mariah went on to recall how she has been involved in a number of memorable MTV VMA show moments, including presenting the Video Vanguard Award to LL Cool J in 1997 and opening the ceremony with Whitney Houston the following year.

"Being here brings back amazing memories, like when I presented LL Cool J for his Vanguard Award. Or, when Whitney Houston and I opened the show with a faux standoff where we both had our dress, and we were like, 'Try it on me.' It was a moment," the 56-year-old continued. "Music videos are my way of life, of bringing music to my own life. Many movies visualising the sheer fantasy of it all. And let's be honest, sometimes there's just an excuse to bring the drama and do things I wouldn't do in real life."

Elsewhere, Mariah noted that she enjoys making music videos as they allow her to get into character, such as the time she played "alter-ego" Bianca in the footage for 1999's Heartbreaker and when she pretended to be escaping with a "hot guy to a remote island" for 1997's Honey.

"Well, that one really wasn't much of a stretch, but you know, it happened anyway," she joked.

To conclude, Mariah thanked her dedicated fans, known as the Lambs, for their ongoing support.

"After all this time, I've learned that music evolves, videos evolve, but the fun, that is eternal. Thank you, MTV for playing my videos, and to my fans, the Lambily, I love you so much," the Believe hitmaker added.

Earlier in the spectacle, Mariah performed a medley of hits for the crowd, including Sugar Sweet, Fantasy, Honey, Heartbreaker, Obsessed, and We Belong Together, among others.

The singer-songwriter is set to release her new album, Here for It All, on 26 September.

Mariah follows in the footsteps of Katy Perry, Shakira, Janet Jackson, Rihanna, and Jennifer Lopez in receiving the Video Vanguard prize.